Saturday, April 28, 2018

A Tongue-in-Cheek Letter to All Article Writers

First of all, thanks so much for writing content for my publication. Whether you know it or not, you are a lifesaver. My publication needs to be fed content on a regular basis, and you have been great about continuously feeding the beast with meaty content written in interesting and compelling ways.

Secondly, you drive me crazy. I’m a volunteer, and I don’t have a lot of time to get my publication pulled together. So I really need for you to follow some basic guidelines, and please don’t ask me to bend the rules for you.

Here’s what I need for you to know:

I have a firm deadline for articles for my publication. Please don’t ask me for extensions. It’s a deadline. Which means no submissions after the due date.

I need for you to follow the word count guidelines. If I ask for a 700 – 800 word article, don’t send me an article with 1000 words and expect me to edit it for you. I have no idea what is YOUR most important point, so don’t expect me to do your work.

Include your byline if you want to get credit for your writing. Don’t send me a 250 word bio or introduction and expect me to know what you’d like me to include or exclude. Bylines should be one or two sentences about what you do (or how you work with readers) and how they can reach you.

When you send me your article in an email, send me your hi-definition photo as an attachment and do not embed it in the article. You lose definition when you embed the photo, and your photo will be grainy and unprofessional.

If you have developed artwork you’d like to use with the article, please attach it as a separate email with your photo. Let me know (in your cover email) that you have either created this artwork yourself, or that you have permission to use this artwork.

Thanks for listening to that rant.

Next I’d like to offer some advice. Since I’m not paying you for this article, I’m assuming that you’re writing this in hopes of generating consulting, coaching, or speaking engagements or in selling your books. So if you want your article to generate business for you, please write it that way. Here are some simple suggestions:

Be sure to include your byline (see number 3 above). You want to let readers know who you are, what you can do, and how they can reach you. If you want this article to generate book sales, you’ll need to let your reader know you’re an author. You can do this simply in your byline by using “the author of” after your name. If you don’t, you’re spending your time on an activity that will never provide ROI.

In your article, provide stories and case studies that demonstrate how you’ve solved problems related to your topic. By showing that you can implement solutions, readers will see the opportunity in reaching out to you. Don’t assume they will figure this out on their own.

Weave the benefits of your expertise throughout, but don’t be salesy. If your article is too salesy, you’ll not only turn off your reader, but chances are you won’t get your article published.

OK, I think I’m done. I hope this helps you. It certainly has helped me.

I need for you to continue to write, and I bet that you’re looking for ways to generate some spin-off business. This can be a wonderful win-win if we play by the rules.

Cathy Fyock is The Business Book Strategist, and helps professionals and thought leaders who want to write a book as a business development strategy. In addition to being an author and an acquisitions editor for Silver Tree Publishing, Cathy is also the volunteer publisher for her state’s HR newsletter and magazine and can be reached at cathy@cathyfyock.com.

2 comments:

Great advice Ms. Cathy. Something we seldom do is to look at it from "the other side of the table." Thank you for reminding us that the first person we have to sell on our article or manuscript is the publisher, agent, or acquisitions editor seeing it for the first time. Thank You for this wonderful counsel. God's blessings ma'am...